With the development and wide use of computing and networking technologies, personal and business communications have proliferated in quantity and quality. In modern world, integrated network capable devices have enabled an enhanced and feature rich life. Advances in manufacturing processes and computing capacity have produced devices capable of diverse tasks and features not previously imagined. Such devices partake an ever increasing share in users daily activities. As a result, long list of devices are susceptible to transmit and carry disease causing agents as a result of physical user interaction.
Disease causing agents such as bacteria, viruses, etc. are transmitted by devices that users interact with daily. Touch-based screens are becoming an ever prevalent presence in variety of user interaction capable devices. Surfaces of these touch-based screens are riddled with finger prints and other interaction remnants carrying potential disease causing agents. Frequent use and trading among users also are substantial problems in continued transmission of disease causing agents from user to device, device to user and other users. Limiting exposure by enforcing single user devices does not eliminate the pathogenic exposure and severely limits the utility of such devices. Single user devices are also resource wasteful and may not suit all functional requirements. In some cases such as a public terminal, single user restriction may not be a solution. Solutions such as removable screen covers are inconvenient with costly if frequently replaced.